Residential comparison · 13 facts
Urbandale, IA vs West Des Moines, IA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Urbandale needs about $86,000 in West Des Moines to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from West Des Moines, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $84,000 in Urbandale.
A few differences
- Urbandale is higher on median household income ($112,795 vs $86,594).
- Urbandale is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,145/mo vs $1,239/mo).
- West Des Moines is lower on median home price ($309,000 vs $335,500).
Urbandale vs West Des Moines · facet by facet
| Facet | Urbandale, IA | West Des Moines, IA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $335,500 | $309,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,145/mo | $1,239/mo |
| Property tax rate | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| State & local income tax | 5.3% | 5.3% |
| Sales tax | 6.9% | 6.9% |
| Cost of living index | 88 | 88 |
| Groceries index | 94 | 94 |
| Utilities | $150/mo | $150/mo |
| Median household income | $112,795 | $86,594 |
| Unemployment rate | 3% | 3% |
| Crime index | 38/100 | 38/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 200 days | 200 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Urbandale, IA · West Des Moines, IA
Questions & answers
- Is Urbandale cheaper than West Des Moines?
- Urbandale and West Des Moines display the same day-to-day cost index; the differences show up facet by facet in the table above.
- What household income in West Des Moines equals $85,000 in Urbandale?
- A household earning $85,000 in Urbandale needs about $86,000 in West Des Moines to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of West Des Moines lifestyle costs about $84,000 in Urbandale.